Gloria G Shatzen

Gloria was born April 14, 1924, in Santurce, Puerto Rico, the third child of Juana Antonia (Ninina) Garcia-Berrios and Salvador Garcia-Rotger. Some of her fondest memories were of growing up on the family farm at Canta Gallo, near Juncos, Puerto Rico. At age 16 she went to study business at the University of Puerto Rico. She spent several years in San Juan working for her college sorority and then became the administrative assistant for the Secretary of Education for Puerto Rico.

She met Maxwell Louis Shatzen Jr. through a family friend who had married his uncle. They began a long-distance romance that culminated in their marriage on April 14, 1952. Gloria joined Max in Atlanta, first living downtown, and then moving to Sandy Springs in 1957. She was a devoted, loving wife and mother to her three sons. She became very active in the community supporting Max’s many civic activities and volunteering as a Cub Scout Den Mother. Always a go-getter, she even led a group from her son’s elementary school class on the Cold War-era “walk home drills”, walking the 3.5-mile route in the prescribed time. For 60 years she was a loyal fan of her beloved Atlanta Braves, which brought her much joy.

Highly devout in her Catholic faith, Gloria was a founding parishioner of St. Jude the Apostle Church in 1960. She served for years on the Altar Society and chaired the Sewing Committee that made the first set of vestments and altar linens for Fr. John Stapleton. She cherished her friends in the Women’s Club and was voted a “Catholic Woman of the Year” in the ‘90s.

As a long-time Spanish tutor and substitute teacher in Fulton County, Gloria took great pride in coaching some of the top high school athletes to success in Spanish. When her children were grown, she went back to work as the Secretary to the Headmaster at the Brandon Hall School, and subsequently as an Executive Assistant for Mead Packaging International. After “retirement” she helped establish MazCare, her son Charlie’s business, and served as the bookkeeper well into her 90s.

Gloria was a vivacious and gracious hostess and an excellent cook, preparing gourmet meals for parties and holiday celebrations. Her lasagna was famous among her son Hobie’s friends when they passed through Atlanta on their way to Ft. Benning for Airborne or Ranger schools, and her gazpacho soup became a signature item on the menu at Pepper’s, her son Erwin’s restaurant in Chapel Hill, NC. She prepared and served thousands of meals happily and lovingly, and her children and grandchildren continue to celebrate family events with many of her recipes.

Her family and friends will long remember her loving kindness, optimistic outlook and her many “Gloria-isms” such as “ay honey,” “things are looking up,” and the ending to her many, sweet notes, “love and blessings.” We are forever grateful to the team at Holbrook for their loving care of our mom. May she feel our love and be abundantly blessed with our Lord in Heaven!

Gloria is survived by her three sons Herbert Louis Shatzen (Beverly) of McLean, VA, Erwin Max Louis Shatzen (Leslie) of Lilburn, GA, and Charles Joseph Shatzen (Leeann) of Marietta, GA; six grandchildren Ellen Shatzen Johnson (Erik) of Arlington, VA, Jill Shatzen Kerr (Preston) of Highland Park, TX, Hannah Shatzen Lockhart (Will) of New York, NY, Christina Elizabeth Shatzen (Andy) of San Francisco, CA, Kyle Maxwell Shatzen (Amber) of Atlanta, GA, and Jefferson Erwin Shatzen (Alyssa) of Atlanta, GA; two step-grandchildren Matt Burlison (Morgan) of Lawrenceville and Marissa Burlison of Ft. Lauderdale, FL; and six great-grandchildren Grayson Edward Johnson, Lillian Maxwell Johnson, Harrison Hatton Kerr, Barron August Kerr, Lucia Preston Kerr, Sloane Sunday Lockhart, and one step-great grandchild Ariana Burlison. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Max in 1974, as well as her sister Amalie and her brother Jose.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Gloria Shatzen to St. Jude the Apostle Church in Sandy Springs, St. Vincent de Paul Georgia, or Catholic Charities Atlanta.

A visitation will be held at Sandy Springs Chapel, located at 136 Mt Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, on December 9, 2025, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

The funeral mass will take place at Saint Jude the Apostle Catholic Church, 7171 Glenridge Drive, Atlanta, GA 30328, on December 10, 2025, at 10:00 am.

The funeral will be livestreamed on YouTube at SaintJudeTheApostleATL.

The committal service will be held at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mount Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA 30328, on December 10, 2025, from 1:00 pm to 1:30 pm.